Palmetto 7-year-old poses with massive tarpon on fishing trip with dad
As a charter captain, bring your kid to work day comes with a few additional challenges.
Sometimes keeping a younger child engaged when fishing can be a difficult task when the fish aren’t, or are, biting. For Captain Griffin Deans, his 7-year-old son Decker was able to join him on multiple trips this summer, helping out the Palmetto-based Deans.
“He’s been with me on about 10 trips this summer. Sometimes he’ll get a little restless and want to catch fish when it’s good,” said Griffin. “Or times if we’re up shallow in 2 or 3 feet of water, he’ll want to jump in. But I have to tell him that’s not what we’re out for. He will work too, helping bait hooks or taking fish off, and he likes that part.”
Deans has had a good summer chasing tarpon around Tampa Bay when he isn’t fishing the flats for redfish or snook. He works the edges of the bay, away from crowds of boats. On a trip when son Decker was helping, one of his clients hooked a giant tarpon.
“I think the edges of the bay are where those big breeder fish group up. We’ll cut up dead bait to chum. You know it’s going to be a big fish when it eats a 15-inch bait. My guys said they wanted to catch a big one, so that’s what we were after,” Deans recalled.
When a bait was eaten, the angler jumped on the rod and the fish began to take the group for a ride. Young Decker watched on as the battle lengthened. As it went along, Griffin noticed his son started to lose some interest.
“On tarpon trips, we might fish all day and get only one or two bites, so he can get a bit bored. I think he falls halfway asleep on some of them,” Deans joked. “That fight took over an hour, so he had to be patient to make it through.”
During the fight, Deans knew it was a big fish, one he thought was the biggest of the year. When it got closer to the boat, they had been fighting it for more than an hour and had gone nearly a mile from where they started.
They ended up in shallow water when the catch was secured and took the opportunity for something special. 55-pound Decker hopped in the water when the tarpon was subdued enough to get an unforgettable picture.
“When it calmed down pretty good, he got in and was able to hold it for a picture. That fish was probably more than 150 pounds. I made sure he was safe, and it was something he’ll be sure to brag about to his friends when he goes back to school soon.”
After reviving the fish, it was released to fight another day. Not only was it a memory for young Decker, but his dad Griffin will never forget the moment either.
This story was originally published July 20, 2025 at 5:50 AM.